Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941 -- Overview

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The 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was one of the great defining moments in history. A single carefully-planned and well-executed stroke removed the United States Navy's battleship force as a possible threat to the Japanese Empire's southward expansion. America, unprepared and now considerably weakened, was abruptly brought into the Second World War as a full combatant.

Eighteen months earlier, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had transferred the United States Fleet to Pearl Harbor as a presumed deterrent to Japanese agression. The Japanese military, deeply engaged in the seemingly endless war it had started against China in mid-1937, badly needed oil and other raw materials. Commercial access to these was gradually curtailed as the conquests continued. In July 1941 the Western powers effectively halted trade with Japan. From then on, as the desperate Japanese schemed to seize the oil and mineral-rich East Indies and Southeast Asia, a Pacific war was virtually inevitable.

By late November 1941, with peace negotiations clearly approaching an end, informed U.S. officials (and they were well-informed, they believed, through an ability to read Japan's diplomatic codes) fully expected a Japanese attack into the Indies, Malaya and probably the Philippines. Completely unanticipated was the prospect that Japan would attack east, as well.

The U.S. Fleet's Pearl Harbor base was reachable by an aircraft carrier force, and the Japanese Navy secretly sent one across the Pacific with greater aerial striking power than had ever been seen on the World's oceans. Its planes hit just before 8AM on 7 December. Within a short time five of eight battleships at Pearl Harbor were sunk or sinking, with the rest damaged. Several other ships and most Hawaii-based combat planes were also knocked out and over 2400 Americans were dead. Soon after, Japanese planes eliminated much of the American air force in the Philippines, and a Japanese Army was ashore in Malaya.

These great Japanese successes, achieved without prior diplomatic formalities, shocked and enraged the previously divided American people into a level of purposeful unity hardly seen before or since. For the next five months, until the Battle of the Coral Sea in early May, Japan's far-reaching offensives proceeded untroubled by fruitful opposition. American and Allied morale suffered accordingly. Under normal political circumstances, an accomodation might have been considered.

However, the memory of the "sneak attack" on Pearl Harbor fueled a determination to fight on. Once the Battle of Midway in early June 1942 had eliminated much of Japan's striking power, that same memory stoked a relentless war to reverse her conquests and remove her, and her German and Italian allies, as future threats to World peace.

This page features a historical overview and special image selection on the Pearl Harbor raid, chosen from the more comprehensive coverage featured in the following pages, and those linked from them:

Pearl Harbor in 1940-1941;

Japanese Forces in the Pearl Harbor Attack;

Overall Views of the Pearl Harbor Attack;

"Battleship Row" during the Pearl Harbor Attack;

Attacks off the West Side of Ford Island;

Attacks in the Navy Yard Area;

Attacks on Airfields and Aerial Combat;

Other Raid-related Events;

Damaged Ships after the Attack;

Raid Aftermath;

Post-Attack Ship Salvage.

Remembrance of the "Day that shall live in Infamy".

For additional information and related resources on the Pearl Harbor attack, see:

"Frequently Asked Questions -- The Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941"

At NatGeo: http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/

Also: http://my.execpc.com/~dschaaf/mainmenu.html

NAVY beats the Army again!!!!

PHILADELPHIA (Dec. 6, 2008) The U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen run off the filed after beating the U.S. Military Academy Black Knights 34 to 0 in the 109th Army-Navy college football game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tommy Gilligan/Released)

Go Navy!!! Beat Army!!! DNU Flash - 12/1/2008

USS Nassau (LHA 4) sends message to support Naval Academy football team.

Medic Earns Three Purple Hearts During One Deployment to Iraq

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2008 - If Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Sims was a cat, he'd have only six lives left after his yearlong deployment to Iraq with the 1st Armored Division's Company B, 270th Armor Battalion, out of Fort Riley, Kan.

"I was wounded three times in Iraq the last time I was there," Sims said of the deployment that began in January 2005.

Sims, a medic, was riding in a tracked ambulance between two M1-A1 Abrams tanks when a roadside bomb detonated. Shrapnel pierced the vehicle and penetrated his flak vest, puncturing his left lung.

He was evacuated to the hospital in Balad. He spent about three weeks recovering before returning to his unit, but it was only the first of three stays at the hospital.

"They know me there," he said with a chuckle.

Three months after he'd returned to duty, his unit was on a foot patrol when it started taking enemy mortar fire. One mortar landed near Sims.

"Shrapnel hit near my lower left leg, penetrating through the front lower part and coming out the back," he said. "[I] almost, almost lost that limb in that incident, but everything's fine now."

Again, Sims was transported to Balad, where he spent another four weeks recovering from his injuries before rejoining his unit to finish his tour.

Unfortunately, he would endure one more interruption before rotating back home.

It was about 4 a.m., and Company B was patrolling Main Supply Route Tampa, one of the main roads in Iraq, when Sims, who was riding in an Abrams tank, started seeing flashes in the distance. He doesn't remember anything after calling in the attack, however.

"I took a sniper bullet – 7.62 mm – to the front of the helmet -- straight in front, almost right between the eyes," Sims said. The bullet fractured his neck and skull and knocked him unconscious.

"I fell into the turret of the tank," he said, "and when ... [it] turned to fire at the enemy, it broke my right femur."

That earned him a two-month stay in the Balad hospital. He said the care he received there was excellent, and he gave the men in his unit kudos for their part in his survival and recovery.

"I attribute a lot of my speedy recovery ... [to] the care that I received actually on site at the point of injury -- quick response from all the people that were there," he said, referring to the soldiers he'd trained in the new Combat Life Saver program. "The people that were actually treating me were people that I had trained. By the time I got to Balad, I was pretty much good to go. They just had to kind of patch me up."

Sims' last tour in Iraq may have resulted in three Purple Hearts, but he said he's not hesitant about returning.

"No, not at all," he said. "I think that it's a lot safer than when I was there. I think the time that I was there, it was right around the national election time, [and] it was really the peak of all the main [bomb] attacks.

"I think now, it's almost 100 percent turnaround," he added.

It's good he's not timid about returning. His current unit, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 15th Engineer Battalion based out of Schweinfurt, Germany, is certain to deploy at some time.

"We're trying to get all the equipment in and get this unit stood up, because it's the only construction battalion in Europe right now," Sims said. "So, we don't know exactly where we're going yet, but we know we're going to go somewhere."

Sims, who has served 10 years since enlisting right out of high school, recently re-enlisted indefinitely. He hopes to become a doctor or a physician assistant, he said, but he has his sights on one of the Army's top spots if he remains in the Army as an enlisted soldier. He said he'd like to be the first medic to serve as sergeant major of the Army.

"As a medic, you get a broad spectrum of everything that's in the Army," he added. "You can go to any type of unit, so you're more well-rounded, I think."

Sims and his wife call St. Charles, Mo., home.

Clinton’s Selection Draws Bipartisan Praise

CQ TODAY MIDDAY UPDATE

Dec. 1, 2008 – 1:23 p.m.

Despite some questions about campaign statements and her husband’s work, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton , D-N.Y., appears to face a smooth path to Senate confirmation as secretary of State.

John Kerry , the Massachusetts Democrat who will chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and its confirmation hearings next month, praised her Monday, along with the rest of the national security team announced by President-elect Barack Obama .

“My friend and colleague Hillary Clinton will bring her years of experience and her remarkable intellect to the effort to restore our alliances and advance the President’s agenda in the world,” Kerry said.

On Sunday, Sen. Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on Foreign Relations, praised the appointments. “I think they’re excellent selections. I think it will be a strong team,” he said on ABC’s “This Week,” adding that the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, gave new urgency to confirming Obama’s picks.

“Bipartisan support of this team really is of the essence right now,” Lugar said.

Obama called Clinton an “American of tremendous stature who will have my complete confidence, who knows many of the world’s leaders, who will command respect in every capital, and who will clearly have the ability to advance our interests around the world.”

Clinton said that challenges such as terrorism, global warming and the global economy convinced her to accept the post and leave the Senate after serving there for eight years.

“The fate of our nation and the future of our children will be forged in the crucible of these global challenges,” she said.

In order to avoid potential conflicts of interest with his wife’s diplomatic work, former President Bill Clinton has agreed to disclose all past and future donors to the foundation that runs his charitable programs overseas and funds his presidential library. He also agreed to incorporate the Clinton Global Initiative separately from the Clinton Foundation and submit his future work to ethics review.

Lugar said he supports Sen. Clinton’s nomination, but noted that there would be “legitimate questions” about that arrangement during the confirmation process.

For a full version of this story and the latest coverage, please visit CQ Politics.

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Obama’s National Security Team Will Face Multiple Challenges

CQ TODAY MIDDAY UPDATE

Dec. 1, 2008 – 12:46 p.m.

As President-elect Barack Obama announced his national security team Monday, he faced two early hurdles: The Senate must confirm most of his nominees, and they must help him chart a new course on defense, foreign policy and homeland security.

The latter will no doubt be the more difficult task.

Obama made official his selections of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton , D-N.Y., 61, to be secretary of State; Robert M. Gates , 65, to stay on as secretary of Defense; James L. Jones, 64, retired Marine Corps commandant and Supreme Allied commander, Europe, as national security adviser; Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano , 51, as Homeland Security secretary; former deputy attorney general Eric Holder, 57, as attorney general; and Susan E. Rice, 44, former assistant secretary of State and one of his top foreign policy advisers, as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

“The national security challenges we face are just as grave — and just as urgent — as our economic crisis,” Obama said.

Among other immediate tasks, this team will have to figure out how to implement Obama’s plan to withdraw most U.S. forces from Iraq in 16 months and renew focus on the war in Afghanistan.

“As Bob said not too long ago, Afghanistan is where the war on terror began, and it is where it must end,” Obama said, referring to Gates.

The nominees are not expected to face much opposition in the Obama-friendly, Democratic Senate.

“Given the range of threats that we face — and the vulnerability that can be a part of every presidential transition — I hope that we can proceed swiftly for those national security officials who demand confirmation,” Obama said.

Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which must approve Clinton and Rice, praised the picks.

“I think they’re excellent selections. I think it will be a strong team,” he said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” adding that the attacks in Mumbai, India, gave a new sense of urgency to approving Obama’s picks.

For the full version of this story, and the latest coverage, please visit CQ Politics.

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Statement by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

"I am deeply honored that the President-Elect has asked me to continue as Secretary of Defense.

Mindful that we are engaged in two wars and face other serious challenges at home and around the world, and with a profound sense of personal responsibility to and for our men and women in uniform and their families, I must do my duty - as they do theirs. How could I do otherwise?

Serving in this position for nearly two years - and especially the opportunity to lead our brave and dedicated Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Defense Civilians - has been the most gratifying experience of my life. I am honored to continue to serve them and our country, and I will be honored to serve President-Elect Obama."

Link

Obama Taps Gates to Keep Serving as Defense Secretary

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will remain in the Pentagon's top post when President-elect Barack Obama's administration takes office.

Obama, who also announced his other nominees for top national security posts today, cited the necessity of continuity as the United States fights wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as his rationale for asking Gates to stay.

In a statement, Gates said he is "deeply honored" that the president-elect asked him to continue serving.

"Mindful that we are engaged in two wars and face other serious challenges at home and around the world, and with a profound sense of personal responsibility to and for our men and women in uniform and their families, I must do my duty -- as they do theirs," Gates said in his statement. "How could I do otherwise?

"Serving in this position for nearly two years -- and especially the opportunity to lead our brave and dedicated soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and defense civilians -- has been the most gratifying experience of my life. I am honored to continue to serve them and our country, and I will be honored to serve President-elect Obama," Gates said.

Obama also announced his intent to nominate the following people to serve in his administration:

-- New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state;

-- Retired Marine Corps Gen. James L. Jones Jr. to be national security advisor;

-- Eric H. Holder to be attorney general;

-- Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano to be secretary of homeland security; and

-- Susan Rice to hold Cabinet rank as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Gates will not have to go through the Senate confirmation process. President George W. Bush nominated Gates as defense secretary in November 2006. The Senate approved the nomination, and he was sworn into office in December 2006 to succeed Donald H. Rumsfeld. Gates will be the first Cabinet officer to continue serving in an administration from a different political party.

Clinton has represented New York since her election in 2000 and has served on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She served as the chairwoman of the Task Force on National Health Care Reform in 1993. She has supported military action in Afghanistan, and has opposed recent actions in Iraq. In the Senate, she sponsored legislation to increase the size of the Army and has consistently worked to help military families. If confirmed, she will replace Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Jones retired in 2007 after serving as NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command. Before that assignment, he was the Marine Corps commandant. Jones received his commission through Georgetown University in Washington in 1967 and served in Vietnam. He received the Silver Star for his actions there. As NATO commander, he led the expansion of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. As national security advisor, he will help to coordinate all aspects of U.S. power in the war on terror. He is currently chairman of the Atlantic Council of the United States. If approved, he would replace Stephen Hadley.

Holder served as deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration. He also has served as a judge, a prosecutor and as a front-line lawyer in the Justice Department. A native New Yorker, Holder received his law degree from Columbia University. If confirmed, he would succeed Michael Mukasey.

If confirmed, Napolitano would be responsible for the Coast Guard as part of her portfolio as homeland security secretary. A lawyer, she served as Arizona's attorney general before being elected as governor in 2002. Napolitano would replace Michael B. Chertoff.

Rice served on the National Security Council in the Clinton administration as assistant secretary of state for African affairs. She will replace Zalmay Khalilzad in the U.N. post.

Biographies:
Robert M. Gates